HBCU LEGACY BOWL SATURDAY IN NEW ORLEANS:
NEW ORLEANS, LA — Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen, the first black college recipient of the Harlan Hill Trophy given to the best offensive player in NCAA Div. II football, headlines a star-studded list of some 76 prolific draft-eligible players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that descended on New Orleans this week for Saturday’s fifth annual Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
The all-stars (see roster in STAT CORNER) arrived in New Orleans Monday and went thru a series of meetings, practices, workouts and interviews with pro scouts Tuesday thru Friday before Saturday’s 3 p.m. CT kickoff of the game at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium. The NFL Network will carry the game live. It is the last postseason all-star game of the 2025 season. One hundred players were invited but injuries, late transfer and players returning to school reduced the numbers.
With great support from the NFL office, the HBCU Legacy Bowl boasts a board of trustees that includes BCHOF founders James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, and NFL Hall of Famers Mel Blount, Willie Lanier and Art Shell. BCSP Publisher/Editor Lut Williams is on the committee that selects the Legacy Bowl participants.
Green Bay Packers RB Emanuel Wilson out of Fort Valley State (2023), LA Rams WR/KR Xavier Smith out of Florida A&M (2023), Buffalo Bills DB/KR Brandon Codrington out of N. C. Central (2024), Washington Commanders DB Robert McDaniel out of Jackson State and New York Jets LB Aaron Smith out of S. C. State (2025) are among former Legacy Bowl participants that have gone on to NFL careers.
The NFL Network is also carrying a series of HBCU football content leading up to Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET kickoff:
• Thurs., Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. ET – NFL Top Ten highlighting the 10 most legendary players from HBCUs;
• Thurs., Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. ET – A Football Life highlighting the life and career of “Greatest Of All Time” wide receiver, Jerry Rice out of Mississippi Valley State;
• Fri., Feb. 20 at 10 p.m. ET – NFL Presents Legacy: A Celebration of HBCU Football – A celebration of HBCU culture and the impact these Black institutions are having on pro football;
• Sat., Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. ET – A Football Life chronicling the life of Jackson State superstar Walter Payton using on and off-the-field sights, sounds and stories.
• Sat., Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. ET – A Football Life telling the story of former Grambling quarterback Doug Williams’ journey from rural Louisiana to Super Bowl MVP.
